Shore’s second season staffing shortage

When college students go back to school and foreign employees head home, who’s minding the store?

The main season is over at the Jersey Shore, but the “Second Season” has begun for tourists who enjoy being at the beach now that kids are back in school.

There are plenty of students to help merchants out during the summer. Both foreign and domestic teens are recruited to work at the boardwalk businesses in Ocean City. Once Labor Day comes the students go, and that is a problem for people like Bill Westerman, who’s run Georges Candies for 16 years. He says the staffing crunch comes just when many merchants begin to see a profit.

“Call on friends and kids that have worked there in the past I have a few teachers that will help out on the weekends, but let’s be honest, no one really wants to do it.”

Michelle Gillian is Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce in Ocean City and her family runs one of the amusement piers on the boardwalk. She says senior citizens are being used to help fill the voids.

“It’s a great complement to have young people and older people they work well together, the older people can be here longer and be here through those times when we need them and those younger people are back in school.”

Gillian says most boardwalk stores are open through Columbus Day.

I’m Tom MacDonald WHYY News.